Suzanne Stokoe stood on the edge of her family’s 3,500-acre farm in Scottsville, New York, cradling a baby wallaby in her arms.
“This is our newest addition to the Roo Ranch,” she said. “This is little Arlo.”
The Roo Ranch is home to kangaroos, wallabies, emus and even a porcupine. It’s one of the more whimsical attractions at Stokoe Farms, where visitors can also take wagon rides, pick pumpkins, or try out ziplines and bounce pillows.
That blend of agriculture and entertainment is part of a growing trend.
Across New York, farms are turning to agritourism, sometimes called “agritainment,” as one of the state’s fastest-growing sectors.
A farm's evolution
Stokoe Farms has been in the family since 1812. Suzanne represents the seventh generation and credits her father with pioneering the farm’s agritourism in the 1980s, when he added you-pick berries and cut-your-own Christmas trees.
“My father was integral in that,” she said. “He said we needed to create something special to get people to come out.”
Today, the farm’s Harvest Fest sprawls across 40 acres with more than 40 attractions, from animal encounters to giant slides.
“We're trying to just make something that's a little different than everything else,” Stokoe said, “and then you throw in some kangaroos.”
A growing trend
Lindsey Elizabeth Pashow, New York’s statewide agritourism specialist, said the sector has become critical for many small and mid-sized farms.
“The idea is that you’re bringing outside consumers to the farm to learn about agriculture, but also to sell product and have an educational experience while they’re there,” she said.
According to USDA data and a 2024 report from the state comptroller's office, agritourism revenue in New York jumped nearly 80 percent between 2012 and 2022. Nearly 950 farms now earn a combined $55 million a year through pumpkin patches, corn mazes, farm tours and festivals.
That’s still a small share compared to food sales, but Pashow said the income is often essential. That was especially true during the pandemic, when families sought safe outdoor activities and farms scrambled to expand.
“I always feel like agritourism is not for the faint of heart,” she said. “You’re going to have customers from all walks of life coming onto your property. It takes someone who enjoys communicating with the public and sharing their farm experience.”
From roadside stand to family destination
On another farm east of Rochester, Dale Wickham is that someone.
“It's amazing to see people light up,” he said. “To touch something with your hand, to pick an apple, it's a really cool thing.”
Wickham’s parents started with a roadside pumpkin stand in the 1980s. The farm moved to its current location in 2019, and now spans 120 acres, employs about 250 seasonal workers, and draws more than 100,000 visitors each year, according to Wickham.
Families pay for entry— and sometimes purchase season passes — for wagon rides, apple cannons, and themed play zones.
“We’ll always be trying to improve,” Wickham said. “But while we do that, we want to stay true to our agricultural roots. That’s at the core of what we do.”
For Webster resident Laura Karger, those roots and new experiences keep her family coming back.
“My kids love it. The corn pit, the zip line, the big slide, the jumping pillow,” she said. “It’s great that they keep adding things that work for both older and younger kids.”
Competing for free time
With so many farms entering the agritourism space, competition is becoming fierce. Stokoe said she’s not just in competition with other pumpkin patches and orchards, but also Rochester’s festival scene, youth sports, and other weekend events.
“You’re competing for people’s free time,” Stokoe said.
Back at the Roo Ranch, she tucked baby Arlo into a pouch slung over her shoulder and looked out across her family's thousands of acres.
“I have a great life,” she said. “Who else gets to look out your back door and see your Christmas trees, your farmland, your heritage? It’s a good life. Hard sometimes, but it’s a good life.”
